The 3D Memory Jukebox
Devised by the company, inspired by PARTICIPANTS’ MEMORIES
The 3D Memory Jukebox is an innovative and life-affirming community-focused performance project that facilitates inter-generational creative exchange through a unique combination of music, memory, digital multi-media and live performance.
The project was developed through a six-month workshop process at New College Durham, involving University of Third Age (U3A) Durham branch group members aged 70 to 92 and New College Durham Foundation Degree Performing Arts students. The senior participants shared their most precious life experiences with the young performers, and chose a piece of music to soundtrack each memory. Guided by the participants, the young performers then transformed this information - people, places, events - into a magical piece of community touring theatre. Audiences were taken on a 1970s road trip across the USA, then to Rome to see a new love blossom, and then boarded a steam train to experience a UK tour with the D’Oyley Carte Opera Company. Stories of sneaking out of school to go to a forbidden disco, of sharing a New York taxi cab with Marvin Gaye, and of ‘50s heartthrob Dennis Lotis performing to screaming teens at Blackpool’s Winter Gardens (and many more musical memories!), were brought to vivid life through live performance, dance, archive film footage, photographs, songs, the recorded speech of participants and a vibrant musical soundtrack. The theme of music proved to be a fantastic conduit for inter-generational creativity.
Learn more by watching the short video below!
THE PARTICIPANTS
The U3A is a nationwide association that encourages senior aged people no longer in work to come together, socialise and learn for fun. Within the Durham branch, there is a Music Appreciation Group that meets monthly to share their love of a diverse range of music over tea and cake. Members of this group joined us on a joyous musical journey. Stephen Brand, a U3A member and leader of the Music Appreciation Group, played a huge role in helping to co-ordinate our many collaborative experiences with the senior participants.
Meet the participants and learn about their experience of the project by watching the video below!
THE VIDEO PLAYLIST
Explore The 3D Memory Jukebox Video Playlist and experience participants’ memories come to vivid life through live performance, dance, archive film footage, photographs, songs, the recorded speech of participants and a vibrant musical soundtrack.
THE PROCESS
During the process, the young performers made voice recordings of the participants' recollections, curated archive film footage and photographs and created a Spotify playlist of the music that accompanied each memory (much of this material eventually accompanied the live performance). These research activities not only enabled the young performers to forge powerful emotional and imaginative connections with the participants’ lived experiences, but also brought to life their home region’s social and cultural heritage.
"We each had to choose our earliest memory and the music that stirred it. That set the ball rolling and it became unstoppable! From then on our brief was to each choose precious memories with their associated music." Margaret Wilson, U3A Participant.
"As a participant, I was quickly enthused by the inventive ways we were encouraged to put across memories, some very emotionally resonant, and their musical connections. We were made to feel relaxed and able to talk freely." John Liddle, U3A Participant.
As the company began to bring the participants’ memories to life through performance, work-in-progress scenes were shared with the participants in the rehearsal room. We employed a playful technique developed by Keith Johnstone, a pioneer of improvisational theatre, to help the participants guide the company in portraying their lived experiences authentically and with accuracy…
The participants were given a bell and a horn (see image above) and would watch the scene. When they saw or heard something that was particularly truthful they would ring the bell. When something they saw or heard wasn’t, they’d honk the horn and the performers would improvise alternative playing choices until the bell was struck.
THE PERFORMANCES
The 3D Memory Jukebox was first performed at the Carville Methodist Church, Durham, the home of the U3A Music Appreciation Group, on March 25th 2023.
After a tea and cake break, the performance of The 3D Memory Jukebox was followed by an audience Q and A, in which the U3A participants, the performers and the creative team came together to share their experiences of the project and the audience were invited to discuss their reactions to the work.
Next, The 3D Memory Jukebox was performed to the whole of the Durham U3A membership and their family and friends at Bowburn Community Hall on 11th May 2023.
Audience Feedback:
“I hope and believe that the young people will have learnt that older people have a huge hinterland of experiences that have brought them to where they are today. In this way they must surely know that growing older is not something to be feared but offers a range of new opportunities to be grasped and enjoyed. I also hope and believe that the older group will have had their views of the younger generation significantly enhanced, and that they have grown to admire the drive and determination they have seen as the young people strive towards their futures.” Tina Naples, Audience Member, Chair of Durham U3A.
“I approached the performance initially with some trepidation wondering how on earth the whole thing would work. After the first 5 minutes I was hooked and felt very emotionally invested in the stories unfolding in front of my eyes. I found the stories triggering musical memories I have around my childhood, which had a very powerful emotional impact on me. I found the intergenerational aspect of the production very touching. It was clear from the Q&A session that both generations got a lot out of the experience. So often in modern society different generations do not interact enough which can result in misunderstanding and distrust. The production has helped break down the generational barriers by providing a purpose and the space for both generations to listen to one another.” Paul Newby, Audience Member and U3A Member.
“It was just great to be at today's performance! It really was a truly enriching thing, to see the generations working together like this. Such a creative thing, to bring them together in this way: community arts at its finest.” Clive Wright, Audience Member and U3A Member.
Here’s how New College Durham promoted the project within the LATEST NEWS section of their website. You can read an article about the project that featured within the Winter 2023 edition of the U3A’s magazine ‘Third Age Matters’, below. The article was written by Tina Naples, Chair of Durham U3A.
CREDITS:
U3A Participants: Mary Adcroft, Janis Goodson, John Liddle, Margaret Wilson
Performers: Eleaner Alderson, Chloe Graham, Summer Laverick, Brooklyn Sams
Project Facilitator, Director and Digital Content Creator: Chris Meads
Project Co-ordinator from U3A: Stephen Brand
Video Recording: Sam Skuce
Photography: Sam Skuce and Andrew Lawton
A huge thank you to the Durham membership of the U3A, Tina Naples (Chair of Durham U3A), and Faye and Gemma at New College Durham!
October 2022 - May 2023